Cold Snap
by AngstyCanadianGleek
Summary: When Elsa goes away, Anna falls mysteriously ill but what happens when she finds out her sister isn't ill but in fact dealing with the consequences for what the trolls did to her all those years ago. Now, together they must help Anna learn her new powers and deal with the new feelings they seem to be developing. Eventual Elsanna. Set after the Great Thaw. Rated T. Non graphic.
1. Chapter 1

**When Elsa goes away, Anna falls mysteriously ill but what happens when she finds out her sister isn't ill but in fact dealing with the consequences for what the trolls did to her all those years ago. Now, together they must work to keep history from repeating itself.**

 **Rating: T**

 **Pairings: Elsa/Anna; I was originally going to leave it pairless but my muse has spoken.**

 **NOTE: Regardless of the pairings, there will be no graphic descriptions of sex because I quite simply do not have the knowledge, experience or patience to write such scenes. This is a note that applies to ALL of my stories and should this story be marked to M it WILL NOT be because of sexual content. I'm just not comfortable writing such material.**

 **Warnings: No warnings apply to this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or any of the characters.**

 _ **PREFACE**_

Things were finally coming together after several months of adapting to her new role as queen and playing a more active and close role in her sister's life. When she looked back to where her life was compared to where it is now, Elsa couldn't help but smile with joy as she made her way back to the castle after being away for two weeks dealing with trade in several countries that bordered Arendelle.

But today, she wasn't going to worry about any of that because it was almost Christmas and her birthday party was that night. As she looked around the street from her carriage seat, she could see people decorating for Christmas; trees were being raised, decorations laying about everywhere, labourers in the street were carving nutcrackers and reindeer in the streets for people to watch with curious expressions. She could smell popcorn in the air as children sat together making long strings to go on the tree. It was a smell that brought back memories and made her realise it had been a while since she had had anything to eat.

The castle grounds had transformed since she left a couple weeks ago. They looked like something out of a storybook; the live nativity scene held a few of the castle staff and one of their babies as baby Jesus. The baby was laying sound asleep; Elsa had been hesitant to allow a real baby to be out in the cold for so long but she was comforted by the fact that they had several babies that would spend time out in the manger. Each baby would only spend an hour, at most, outside and while they were there, they were bundled excessively.

As she got closer to the palace itself, she could hear her guests chattering amongst themselves as they waited outside for her arrival. They all wore various winter themes outfits; some were dressed in bright red and green while others were dressed more subtly in traditional wear with Christmas themes accents.

Children could be heard running around, more excited about the holiday than the party they had, most likely, been forced to attend. She could remember how long Christmas Eve was when she had her birthdays celebrated before the incident; she and Anna would spend the night talking about their presents and what they wanted while the guests did their bests to feign an interest.

As Elsa's presence was announced, she could hear the people applauding as she made her way into the castle, her eyes holding a merry expression as she looked around for the one person she was looking forward to seeing since she left. She had been looking forward to seeing her sister since she left and she knew Anna had been looking forward to this party since it was announced. Anna was the only reason she was going through with this party because if it were up to her, they'd just spend the evening decorating for Christmas while the staff worked. Oh, the things she did to make her sister happy.

The party was spectacular; beautiful decorations, music being played by a well-dressed band, ladies gathered around the fire and gentlemen watching with joyful expressions. The number of political connections that could potentially be made today was mind-boggling as she realised there were representatives and officials from every country, including America. The turn out was far more than she had ever expected and her stomach began to churn slightly as her nerves washed over her.

As she looked around for her sister, she was shocked to realise that she couldn't find or even here her bubbly lively sister anywhere. In fact, the only person she could see who might know her sister's location was her new Master of Ice And Delivery who looked pale and was shaking slightly as he made his way towards Elsa with a weary look on his face. He was a close friend of Anna's as of recently. They had dated for a bit but called it off for some reason unknown to Elsa or anyone else but despite that, they were still close friends. She always searched for signs that the two were heading once again towards more but found none.

"Good evening, your Majesty," Kristoff said with a low bow and a kiss of Elsa's hand as he'd been trained to do when he became a representative for the castle. He had no authority to make depictions on anything but ice but he was still expected to follow certain protocol when he engaged with either Anna or Elsa in a public setting, of course, this did little to stop the way he would smirk and chuckle whenever he used any of the mannerisms that were so foreign and new to the boy who'd been raised by trolls.

He actually told Elsa that was why he hung around after Anna had broken up with him; they were the only humans he was actually acquainted with and oddly enough, Anna found this to be more than amusing. Anna told her that she just liked having someone to talk to who wasn't one of the maids or staff. She had also told Elsa how she felt bad for keeping him around sometimes in case he got any ideas. The main reason Anna kept him around was Sven; Kristoff was aware of this but he didn't really care because his reindeer enjoyed her presence as much as she enjoyed his. Although, Elsa found it amusing; more amusing than she was willing to admit to his face.

"Where's Anna?" Elsa asked, glancing around for her sister as though she were expecting her to suddenly jump from behind Kristoff and say 'boo'.

"She's... um... indisposed at the moment and can't come down," Kristoff said, looking decidedly uncomfortable as though he was failing to come up with the right words to explain why Anna couldn't come downstairs to the party. "She's taken... ill... um, sort of."

"That better _not_ mean what _I_ think that means!" Elsa growled, giving Kristoff the best glare she was able to muster which seemed to work because the man paled and fell back a couple steps before standing up in an attempt to look unafraid.

"NO! Nothing like that! We're still broken up. And when we were together, I never... No, what's happening to your sister is... complicated and this is neither the time nor place to get into _those_ details," Kristoff said, still pale but he'd returned to shivering slightly as though he had a chill but the room was warm.

"Is she okay?" Elsa whispered.

"She _will_ be and that's what matters right now but it's complicated. I was asked to keep an eye on her until you came back; believe me when I say, you're better suited to handle _this_ then I could ever be," Kristoff said, sounded hesitant.

"And what does that mean?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow at the man before her, finding her worries weren't becoming at all eased by his words. In fact, they seemed to be doing the opposite.

"It means this is neither the time or place. But my _family_ assures me that she will be fine and that is all I can say at the present time. After the party, you'll find us in Anna's room; I really can't say much else right now but she does send her best and her deepest remorse that she could not attend," Kristoff said, startling her with the amount of formality he was putting into his words before he once more kissed Elsa's hand before disappearing from the room.

It was difficult to focus on the party after hearing Kristoff's cryptic words and part of her felt like she should be able to piece it together but she knew she was missing critical information. Of course, this did nothing to stop her from spending the rest of the evening worrying about the health and well being of her sister.

"Good evening, your Majesty. Such a wonderful party. I would have come to wish you a Happy Birthday sooner but you've been difficult to find with so many people seeking your attention."

This was the ambassador from France speaking in a soft-spoken voice but there was a clear motive in his eyes; this much Elsa could tell but she could not tell what the motive was. Jean Beux was known for his shameless flirtation so Elsa was not surprised when he placed not one but two kisses on her hand.

"I've heard tales of your beauty, so cold and yet alluring but seeing you in person does those words so little justice," Jean spoke in a clear voice, it was apparent he greatly enjoyed his flirtation but Elsa found herself unaffected and still worrying about her sister.

"Thank you. It is a pleasure to have you in attendance," Elsa said, forcing the worry out of her voice in an attempt to sound open and inviting.

"Oh, your Majesty, the pleasure is _all mine,_ madam."

Elsa fought the frown that was threatening to form as the insistent man continued to attempt to woo her. She

"I hope you have a good evening," Elsa said, looking for a way to get out of the conversation that was making her uncomfortable in more ways than one.

"You as well, your Majesty."

Elsa wasn't aware the words 'your Majesty' could be made to sound so... unnerving but sure enough, the man had done just that.

The rest of the party went on without incident. Elsa was able to make several negotiations and secure several new potential trade partners by the end of the evening and secured her relations with several of her own subjects who found relief in seeing her interact normally instead of freezing everything. She knew it was a long way from her winter being forgotten but it was a step in the right direction. She felt like she had accomplished quite a bit during the night and if it wasn't for how worried she was about Anna, she might have wanted to rejoice everything she had done that night.

As she watched everyone leave, she was overwhelmed by a sense of relaxation and calmness. This was going to be her life now, attending parties, hosting parties, attending meetings and making decisions that impacted not just her life but the lives of people around her, the lives of an entire country now depended on her. It was a responsibility she knew she was going to have to face but for the first time, she realised that she was actually in the role. Everything had happened so fast after the coronation; she had made her public statement, celebrated Anna's birthday and gotten sick but now, things were slowly shifting into their new norm.

This was a thought that was both terrifying and relaxing. It was terrifying because of the amount of responsibility and the connections she would have to forge with her minimal social skills. But it was relaxing because she knew it could only get better from here. She had her sister back in her life and now she could take the time to make up for all the hurt she had put her through by pushing her away.

She was gaining more and more control over her powers and soon, she would be comfortable enough to maybe even throw away or burn her gloves. She was no longer going to fear her powers but embrace them and use them to bring forth a new wave of trade and economy. Perhaps she could create a location where ice could be harvested all year round, bringing forth an opportunity to make ice trade with other countries year-round; it would be an opportunity she had begun putting in place especially by giving Kristoff the authority to create his own team of summer ice harvesters. Her life was going in a positive direction and the fact that Anna was finally in on her secret made her heart swell with utter joy.

Thinking about Anna, she remembered that her sister was upstairs in her room with an infliction she still knew nothing about. As she watched the last of the guests leave, she retreated upstairs to her room the change out of her formal wear and put on something more comfortable before she made her way to her sister's room. The could feel nerves forming in her stomach as she went closer and closer. She could hear a hushed discussion going on inside the room; Anna was arguing with Kristoff about something. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she could occasionally make out a few words but nothing that told her a lot about what was wrong with Anna.

As she placed her hand on the doorknob, she came to the realization that it was really cold; the doorknob felt practically frozen in her hand.

With a quick knock, Elsa shoved the door open and was absolutely shocked as she felt a wave of concealed arctic air come blasting in her direction.


	2. Chapter 2

If the cold had any effect on her at all, she was sure she would have been knocked to the ground by the intensity of the cold air that just flew out at her. Caught off guard completely she could only stare at Kristoff who was seated in the corner of the room under several blankets and Anna who was sitting up, propped against several pillows watching Elsa's face as though she was analyzing it. The expression was the most intense expression Elsa had ever seen Anna wear.

Anna's face was pale and chalk-like but besides her pale complexion and the weak glaze in her eyes, she showed no outward signs of being at all impacted by the plummeted temperature of the room; which was more than could be said about Kristoff who was just barely concealing his chattering teeth and the shivers he was fighting not to show. This made Elsa want to punch him more than she already wanted to.

"It's cold in here," Elsa said, glaring at Kristoff for allowing her sister to be in a room so cold. If he'd been tasked with the job of watching over her, then why was she still in here. Looking out the window, she was almost positive it would be warmer outside in the cold December air than it was in here.

"Kristoff, she's right. You should take my blanket too," Anna said, beginning to weakly peel off her blanket. Before Elsa could form words in her mind, she had practically flown over to her sister in a hasty effort to tuck her tighter under the blankets so her sister could not move them. She needed to be kept warm at all costs and removing the blanket would surely make her sicker than she already was. Yes, she'd deal with getting Anna comfortable before she moved her and then she'd deal with Kristoff.

"What about you? We need to get you somewhere warm and under some nice warm blankets before you catch your death of cold!" Elsa said, glaring once more at Kristoff as she began pacing the length of the room, trying to figure the best place to move her sister.

Anna simply raised an eyebrow as though she was actually confused by Elsa words. She saw Anna shoot a glance over to Kristoff who simply raised his trembling hands in the air in a motion of surrender and resignation.

"I'm fine, honestly. Didn't Kristoff explain what was going on?" Anna asked, her voice sounded tired and her eyes were drooping slightly but there was no trace of trembling and shivering in her voice. This fact and the fact that she only had a few blankets on was confusing Elsa profusely.

"What am I missing?" Elsa asked, catching on that she was out of the loop but she was clearly missing something very big because Anna and Kristoff appeared to be arguing without words.

"I thought you were going to tell her. Or at least warn her a little bit of what to expect," Anna said, irritation becoming more and more evident in her voice; it was a tone that both impressed and confused Elsa; mainly because she had no clue what was going on and she was finding herself more and more confused every time either of them opened their mouths.

"Yes, well, I decided she should hear this from _you._ Besides, did you honestly expect me to tell her _this_ in the middle of her party?" Kristoff said, sounding almost irritated but more like he was proving a point; it was causing her to become more irritated, listening to them bicker while Anna was in a room far too cold for her to be in. Elsa would have to keep reminding herself it was cold because she was comfortable but Anna shouldn't be here any longer.

"How about we stop just sitting around and get my sister OUT of this icebox," Elsa said, grabbing her sister's arm but dropping it as she realised her sister was cold as ice; actually, she was probably _colder_ than ice if that was even possible. "She's colder than ice!"

"I didn't even notice," Anna said with a shrug.

"You're fine though, right?" Kristoff said, his tone filled with apprehension.

"I'm good," Anna said. "You're not."

"I'll live," Kristoff said stubbornly, as though this wasn't the first time he had made this argument.

"Take the damn blanket, you fool! If you insist upon staying here, at least keep yourself _alive_!" Anna shouted, weakly but her face was filled with frustration and underlying worry.

"Anna! You need the blanket! It's cold in here," Elsa said, in an effort to smooth over the argument, which by the sounds of it, had clearly been going on for a while.

"I'm fine! I'm perfectly comfortable! But _he's_ turning _blue_!" Anna hollered, jabbing her hand in Kristoff's direction, the motion seemed to tire her a bit but she kept her expression stern in an effort not to show any weakness.

Elsa turned again to Kristoff who's lips were purple, as though he'd been drinking grape juice and his body was starting to shake with shivers that he was clearly holding back, causing his body to move more awkwardly and tensely as he made his way across the room, blankets falling to the ground.

"And... you're... How aren't you cold? I can tell it's freezing in here and I can see his breath!" Elsa said, realising with a terrified tremble down her spine that she couldn't see her sister's breath in the cold air despite the fact that she was clearly breathing.

"It's complicated," Anna said slowly as she began to squirm nervously in her bed.

"Y-you m-might w-w-want to s-sit d-down for this," Kristoff said between shivers and shudders.

"Kristoff! You did as your family asked, you stayed with me until my sister came back. She's here now, so you should go before anything irreparable happens," Anna shrieked, angrily flushing only the slightest in frustration. "Go home, be with your family. We're not together anymore, so you shouldn't be risking you _life_ for me _!_ "

"B-but."

"No buts! The only butt I want to see is yours walking out the door while you can _still walk!"_ Anna demanded, angry with her friend for putting himself in such a risk but this still left Elsa's mind whirling as she tried to figure out what was happening. "Now I need to talk to my sister because, unlike you, she's not turning _blue!"_

Elsa barely resisted to urge to ask why Anna herself was turning blue but her little sister was already speaking again.

"If you're really so worried, check back in a few days. Go home. I'll be fine," Anna said, finally, her voice much softer and less angry now but she still didn't sound thrilled. "We're going to be talking for a while and I think you know it's not going to be warming up in here anytime soon. You should go see your family; you did what they wanted and now you can leave. Thank you."

As Kristoff left, Anna began rubbing at her temples with a tired expression on her face. Elsa stared at the door and back to Anna, trying to figure out what was happening but she was missing too much information to put everything together and the bits she was coming up with were possibilities she did not want to consider.

"What? What's going on Anna? Wait... let me close the..." Elsa made a motion to close the window but upon seeing it was still closed, she found herself edging knees starting to buckle. Anna watched Elsa with a worried expression; as though despite how weak she looked like she was ready to run and catch Elsa should she fall.

"You should sit down for this," Anna said slowly, once again analyzing Elsa's expression carefully, a slight pink crawling across her face as she tried to come up with the words to say.

"But you're cold," Elsa insisted loudly.

"Really, Elsa! I said I was fine and I meant it; as hard as that might be to believe," Anna insisted as she felt Elsa sit down on the side of her bed. Anna turned so she was laying on her side so she could face her sister as she spoke.

"What's happening?" Elsa asked. "Are you okay?"

"Do you remember when I was taken to the trolls as a child? How they took away my memories?" Anna said, still watching Elsa with critical eyes, her cheeks growing pinker as she kept talking.

Elsa felt herself stiffen; she'd been expecting almost anything _but that_ to come from Anna's mouth and she found herself overwhelmed by images of that nightbefore she shook them out of her mind.

"They didn't take away your memories," Elsa said lamely. "They altered them."

Anna looked at Elsa with a small smirk before she remembered what they were talking about and her expression went back to serious; seeing a serious expression on Anna's face was unnerving, especially given the nature of the conversation.

Was her heart frozen again? Would they be able to reverse it?

"Well," Anna said, bringing Elsa's attention back to the matter at hand. "When they did that, there were certain... factors... not taken into consideration."

Elsa couldn't help her expression becoming more and more blank as she tried to figure out exactly what her sister was telling her so she could brace herself before the words could come out.

"I'm confused," Elsa said, hating not knowing something but her mind kept trying to nudge an idea into her mind.

"I know but I'm not sure where to start."

"How about how you're not uncomfortable, it's freezing and Kristoff who works _with ice_ had trouble withstanding it," Elsa said carefully, feeling a headache forming as her mind began piecing bits together.

"I wasn't when it started. I was really uncomfortable but as it progressed, my body adapted," Anna said, with a shrug as she continued on.

"I'm still confused... And worried, you should bundle up."

"I'll start from the beginning," Anna said, just barely acknowledging Elsa's request with a light touch to her arm to soothe her a bit. "My temperature began fluctuating without warning. It would be fine and than it would bottom out. The lower it got, the colder it became around me. It was like a fever in reverse; it sapped my energy to the point where I could hardly move. Finally, I contacted Kristoff for him to take me to see his family. He was hesitant at first until he realised it was actually warmer _outside in the snow_ then it was in my room. He finally took me to his family when the doctor couldn't figure it out."

"What did the trolls say?" Elsa asked, beginning to dread the possible answer. Either way, she could tell the answer was going to be an issue. But if her heart was frozen again, maybe it never thawed out the first time.

"When my mind was 'altered' of all magic, that included _all_ of the magic in my brain, including the magic I was _born_ with. But when my heart was frozen and I froze completely, upon thawing out, whatever it was they did was undone and this..." Anna said as she made a gesture to show she was talking about the temperature of the room. "Is my _body_ catching up with my _mind_ now that my magic has been released. It has done this by projecting... everything... that had built up. The trolls aren't going to do anything to stop it, however, because they believe it's something that needs to come out of my system now. The real... issues begin once this stops happening."

"What... does that... mean?" Elsa said, ignoring the panicked screams going off in her mind. _No, no, no... This CAN'T be happening. There has to be another explanation._ "What happens after this stops?"

Elsa was going to deny this possibility for a few seconds longer but she already knew what was going to happen _when this stops._ She actually felt like Anna was going to think she was stupid for asking but luckily her sister seemed too caught up in her own thoughts to realise how obvious the answer to Elsa's question was. But, Elsa didn't want this for her sister. Her sister deserved a normal life and now...

"That's when the _actual_ powers will manifest. The trolls said right now my body is essentially releasing steam now," Anna rambled on, sounding nervous now as she studied Elsa's face with hawk-like intensity. "It's why I'm not cold... or not feeling it anyway."

"So, when so saw _actual powers_ you mean..." Elsa would have continued but her throat chose that moment to constrict as she began to think about how much _harder_ her sister's life had gotten in less than two weeks. This isn't the way Elsa wanted Anna's life to go; how was Anna feeling about these powers? How was she going to handle them? What was she going to do with them? Anna was a sweet person who didn't like hurting others; she knew this by the way she always worried about others before herself.

Anna nodded weakly, still watching Elsa's face as though looking for ny signs of negative emotion; she wasn't upset with Anna, she was upset about the situation. But she kept her expression neutral for now so Anna wouldn't stop talking to her.

"And when they _do_ come out... wait, how long until that happens?" Elsa asked, suddenly feeling like she needed a timeline so she could figure out how best to deal with this. Elsa watched as Anna shrugged lightly before looking back up into Elsa's eyes; worry, apprehension and anxiety were all visible in her eyes as she tried to come up with an answer to the question.

"They said it would start... well that was a week ago, so by now it's probably down to a few days," Anna said, shifting weakly until she was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Elsa had scooted closer to catch Anna in case she started to fall down, putting her hand on Anna's back to keep her steady doing her best to hide her concern at how cold her sisters back was compared to her hand.

"Do you have any rough idea how strong your powers will be?" Elsa asked, her mind still struggling with the concept that her sister was going to have powers. But the idea was very overwhelming and as she thought about how she struggled with her own powers in the past, she couldn't help but worry about Anna closing herself off and hiding away like she had done.

"What do you think of all of this?" Elsa asked, now that she knew enough facts, it was important to see how her sister was actually handling all of this. She had just found out her life was changing forever and Elsa wanted to make she Anna was actually fine with all of this; at the very least, she wanted to make sure Anna wasn't driving herself completely crazy.

"I... don't know. At first, I was asleep most of the time and couldn't think about much besides using my energy to eat but as time went on, I just got... overwhelmed when I'd think about it too much and then I'd panic and get tired again. I haven't had the chance to really and fully process what's happening because I don't know _how_ to process this or think about processing it," Anna spoke with her voice expressing her growing frustration for not being able to handle this as well as she wanted. "I just don't know what to do with myself."

Elsa thought about this for a minute as she watched Anna slowly work herself into a panic about the future. She came to a decision; the best decision she was able to think of for such an unexpected turn of events.

"Okay," Elsa said suddenly, startling Anna out of her panic as she stood up and marched to the door with a look of determination on her face.

"Okay?" Anna repeated, clearly unsure of what was happening.

"Kai!" Elsa called down the hall, watching as the man rushed to Elsa's side with a rushed look on his face.

"Yes, your Majesty," Kai said with a look on his face that showed just how eager he was to please. Elsa was sure if she asked him to stand on his head and pick his nose, he would do it without any hesitation.

"Clear my schedule for the next several weeks. My sister is experiencing... medical complications and requires my care. You can tend to anything that comes to the best of your judgement," Elsa said in an official tone so he would realise how serious she was being and how serious the matter on hand was to her.

"Yes, your majesty!" Kai said eagerly, his face flushing as he dashed off to make all of the necessary arrangements for such a thing to occur.

Elsa turned back into Anna's room and stood by the bed where her sister was now staring at her with a practically shell-shocked expression on her face but her fear and anxiety was still visible in her eyes.

"There, that's been taken care of; now scoot over," Elsa said, giving Anna the warmest smile she could to ease her worries a bit. The smile might not have helped much but Anna was confused enough that she scooted to the side with a curious look in her eyes. When Elsa crawled into the bed beside her, Anna continued to frown in confusion.

"You didn't have to do that," Anna whispered, her face turning pink again. "I'm sure I would have been... fine when it happened."

If Elsa didn't know better, she would have almost fallen for her sister brave facade but she caught the trimmer in her voice and the way her voice broke off as she spoke. Anna was more scared about this than she was letting on and Elsa had no intention of leaving her alone to her fear.

"I think it's best," Elsa said as she scootched closer to Anna so she could look her straight in the eyes. "That I'm here to make sure you're okay. And besides, at the moment, I'm the only one suited to be there for you and I'm perfectly okay with that because I love you and I want you safe and happy. I'm not going anywhere."

"What are we going to do?" Anna asked, her voice break slightly as she watched Elsa's expression carefully but without the same guarded expression on her face.

Elsa frowned deeply, trying to come up with the best way to deal with this. Unfortunately, she could only think of one way to deal with the immediate risk.

"We're going to have to close the gates... temporarily, of course," Elsa said, knowing she was not going to allow them to stay closed but it was for the best that they were closed until they saw just how powerful Anna's powers were going to be and how quickly they were going to manifest. When she figured it was safe, she'd have the gates opened again during restricted hours and finally, it would go back to normal.

"Won't they be suspicious?" Anna asked, frowning at the idea of people gossiping about why the gates were going to be closed so soon after being opened for the first time in years.

"Maybe," she responded softly as she ran her hands through Anna's loose hair; a gesture that seemed to soothe her slightly. "But it won't be for long. Just until we see how strong your powers will be and once we're sure there's no risk to the public for exposure or harm, we'll tentatively open them again. I'm going to make sure you know how to safely use your powers. I don't want you going through what I went through and I'm going to do my best to keep it from happening."

"Are you okay with this happening?" Anna asked, her voice filled with hesitation, as though she'd been worrying about asking this for a while and at first, Elsa was shocked by the question. It was Anna who was facing new powers and everything that went with them and yet, here she was, worrying about how _Elsa_ felt about this.

"I'm not _thrilled_ and I'm kind of in shock but I'm not upset. Besides, there is a silver lining; there's no chance of me hurting you now," she said as she watched this settle into her mind. A small smile began to appear on her little sister's face before she let out a small yawn.

"You should go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," Elsa said, pulling Anna into her arms. Anna nestled closer and soon enough, the smaller girl had fallen into a deep sleep, her hands gripping the back of Elsa's nightgown as though her life depended on it. Elsa rested her head on the top of Anna's head but she knew it would be a while before she herself fell asleep. But as she breathed in her sister's scent, she found some comfort in the fact that everything would eventually be okay.


	3. Adaptation

As she made her way to the bathroom, Anna was surprised to find that her legs were as stable as they were; they still trembled with every step she took but she didn't feel like she was going to topple over with every step she took. This was something that filled with both relief and dread because of what was going to come once she was fully recovered and her body temperature evened out.

Though she still felt week and drained, she had to admit that being out of bed on her own was rather exhilarating. As she washed her face and brushed her teeth, she felt better then she did when she first arrived in the bathroom. Just being in the bathroom by herself made her feel almost normal, as though nothing in her life had changed and the past several days had been nothing more than a bizarre fever-induced dream.

The past couple of weeks had been so overwhelming; first, she lost her energy and he body temperature kept fluctuating drastically until she finally had to contact Kristoff to take her to see his family because she had been too weak to make the trip without him. Now, Anna enjoyed his company but she expected when she broke up with him that she'd have space but instead she'd ended up going to him for help and he ended up helping to take care of her for almost a week at the request of his family. She was sure he'd have done it even if they hadn't asked but she felt bad because he had put his health at risk. She could hear him sniffling and shivering when he thought she was asleep and unable to hear.

She knew he loved her but she just didn't feel that way towards him and she wasn't sure she ever would. She felt bad for leading him on but she thought after a while she would begin to develop feelings but instead, she just found herself dreading being kissed; she liked the company but not the kissing. She broke up with him because she didn't want him to fall further than he already had when she spent so much time coming up with excuses to not kiss or touch him.

She truly wished she had been able to feel the same way towards him but the harder she tried to push the feelings on herself the more she became distant against him. She felt nothing towards him romantically; he was like a teddy bear, fun to have around and talk to but no desire to kiss or do anything else of _that_ nature.

As she reflected upon this further, she failed to hear the sound of rustling blankets in the next room as her sister slowly awakened to find the bed suddenly empty.

"Anna? Anna? Where are you?"

Anna jumped out of her thoughts of guilt and feelings about Kristoff before she made her way back to into her bedroom where she found Elsa sitting up in the bed, her face pale as she glanced quickly towards the sound of Anna's footsteps, clearly panicking.

"I'm right here. I just went to the bathroom," Anna said as she began her journey back towards her bed. But as soon as she stepped away from the dresser she was holding, she could feel her energy start to plummet but before she could sink all the way to the ground, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and soon enough, she was back on her feet with the support of her sister.

"Anna, why didn't you wake me? Wait, are you colder?" Elsa asked as she helped Anna back into the bed.

"I'll warm up when this is all over. Honestly, I stopped noticing the cold a couple days ago," Anna said as Elsa wrapped the blankets around her before checking her pillows. "I don't think I can even tell when something I'm touching is cold anymore because it doesn't feel the same as it used to."

Anna watched as Elsa stopped moving for a second before she continued to go out of her way to make sure Anna was comfortable again. This wasn't something Elsa was easily going to be able to relate to because her body has always been adapted to the cold and therefore, she wouldn't be able to understand what it was like to have your perception of hot and cold change so drastically and so quickly.

"Did you sleep well?" Elsa asked, curling up beside Anna with a small smile.

"I've been doing nothing but sleep for days but honestly, it's been good sleep," Anna said, leaving out the fact that last night was the first night her sleep hadn't been plagued by nightmares since this whole thing started; it wouldn't be fair to worry her more than she already was.

Elsa seemed to sense something, no doubt by the fact that she was blushing, but thankfully said nothing.

"How are you feeling today?" Elsa asked, looking Anna up and down for signs of distress.

"I feel better. A bit stronger but still weaker than I was a few weeks ago. Are you... never mind, I'm sorry," Anna said blushing when she realised what she was about to ask.

"What?"

Blushing deeper than before, Anna decided she was going to have to tell Elsa what she had almost said.

"I was going to ask if you were... cold. Once the trolls asked Kristoff to stay with me until you came home, it became a regular question I began asking," Anna said, feeling her face heat up a little more. Not that she was complaining about blushing, it's the most heat she had felt anywhere and though she didn't need the heat for her health, being surrounded by warm things still gave her comfort, even if was just the blood rushing around her cheeks. She stopped blushing when Elsa, instead of laughing, started to think to herself for a few seconds before she spoke.

"I've never actually felt the cold. I know when it's cold around me and I know when my body temperature is cold but I've never actually felt cold. Are you cold?" Elsa said, suddenly worried about her sister's comfort.

"No," Anna said with a weak chuckle. "Like I said, I stopped feeling it a few days ago."

After they at breakfast, Anna grew tired and took a nap while her sister read quietly to herself. Her dreams turned dark fast but suddenly, a feeling of comfort took over and the scary images began to fade almost as quickly as they had come on. It was a refreshing change of pace from her usual nightmare which could go on for the whole duration of her sleep.

When she woke up, she was surprised to find that she was curled up against Elsa, holding her tightly as though she were a teddy bear; Elsa didn't seem to mind as she was still contently reading, just in a slightly different position. In fact, she looked perfectly content to just lay there with Anna in her arms and a book in her hand. Anna was surprised by the feeling that travelled down her spine as she nestled closer, relishing in the feeling of being held close; she felt safer and more secure than she could ever remember feeling.

"Feeling better?" Elsa asked suddenly as she turned to put a bookmark into the book and turned to face her sister with a smile on her face. Anna felt her face heat up slightly but she nodded anyway.

"I feel a bit better," Anna said, not ready to let go of her sister because she was more comfortable than she had been in days and her sister's warmth was comforting her greatly. After a while of laying there contently, Elsa helped Anna into some new clothes; the clothes, which were warmer than Anna at the present moment, felt nice against her skin until they cooled down to her body temperature much too quickly for her liking.

"You know it's funny how different warm clothes feel against my skin now. But they cool down too fast," Anna said, as she sat down on the bed, taking a second to relish in the feel of the warm carpet under her toes. Anna had made it most of the way from the bathroom to her be without help but the last few steps seemed to take just enough out of her that she couldn't make it the rest of the way.

"That might lose some intensity once this part is over. Hopefully, your temperature will even out until its closer to mine at least because right now, you're colder than me and that's saying something," Elsa said with a laugh as she helped Anna back up onto the bed.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Anna asked, face heating up once again as she looked to the floor.

"No. I notice there's a difference but that's it. The cold doesn't affect me at all," Elsa said with a firm voice. "Besides, you're a little warmer than the ice bed I created in the ice palace."

"Can we go there one day?" Anna asked before she could stop herself. "I just didn't get to see it very well... last time but I remember what I had seen was pretty spectacular."

Elsa laughed lightly before she covered Anna with the blankets once again; they both knew she didn't need it but it was still a gesture that comforted her and made her feel safe and secure.

"I don't see why not but we should save that trip for when you get your strength back," Elsa said before she disappeared to tell the staff what they wanted for lunch and supper that day. When she returned, she had changed into a new outfit and had brushed her hair. She was carrying several things which she set on Anna's dresser before making her way back to the bed and plopped herself down dramatically. Anna burst into weak giggles before she forced herself into a seated position; it was difficult at first but she was determined to do this. She hated feeling so weak and tired and it frustrated her to need so much help to do such little things but she loved having her sister be the one to help her through it. Elsa's presence alone made the whole thing easier and the fact that she was going out of her way to help made her feel so happy.

"Where's Olaf?" Anna asked suddenly, remembering she hadn't seen the cheerful snowman in a few days and was becoming worried about the little guy who never failed to cheer her up when she needed it.

"He's around somewhere; I saw him a few hours ago outside the window and he was bustling around outside. But I don't know what he's gotten up to recently," Elsa said with a laugh as their lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup arrived. By the time they finished eating, Anna was yawning again and nodding off but she was hesitant to go to sleep because of the dreams she knew were waiting for her when she closed her eyes.

"Go to sleep," Elsa said when she saw Anna stifle the third yawn.

"But... I'm not tired."

"Yes, you are. You're ready to pass out," Elsa said with a chuckle as she sat down beside her clearly tired sister. Suddenly, the blonde's eyes widened as a realisation seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks. "Is this about the dream you had earlier? Have they been happening often?"

Anna sometimes wished her sister wasn't a perceptive as she was but of course she had guessed the problem with stunning accuracy. With a deep blush, Anna nodded and looked down at her blankets as she began picking at a tiny thread as though it was going to help the awkward situation go away.

"I have them every time I go to sleep," Anna said, blushing even deeper. "But they stop when you're here. Will you... you don't have to if you don't want to..."

"You know, I could use a nap," Elsa said with a stretch as she crawled in bed with Anna once again. It was clear she wasn't really tired but Anna was too tired to say anything and simply nestled under the covers, feeling almost a joyful leap from the pit of her stomach as she felt her older sister lay down beside her.

Anna smiled contently for the first time in what felt like ages but it didn't last for long because before she knew it, she had lost her battle to stay awake. The bad dreams only lasted a few seconds before they were replaced by images of her and Elsa exploring her ice castle together hand in hand with Olaf running ahead with his usual expression of wonder and joy. It was the best dream she had and she was almost disappointed to wake up and discover it hadn't really happened. In fact, her hand felt oddly empty without her sister's hand.

When she woke up, she found that she was, once again, nestled comfortably in her sister's arms. She felt so comfortable and safe in her arms that she never wanted to move. However, her body seemed conflicted, because every fibre of her felt like it needed to move. She could feel her whole body pulsing with adrenaline. She suddenly felt an overpowering urge to walk around and do something. It was a sense of restlessness she had never experienced before and it was all consuming but she really didn't want to leave her sisters arms.

"Anna? Are you okay?"

Blushing as she realised she must have been squirming, Anna simply shook her head, knowing how miserable a liar she was, she decided not to bother lying because it wouldn't work.

"I just feel so restless all of a sudden," Anna said, blushing a bit as she admitted this.

Elsa paused her hands in Anna's hair, making her realise she had been running her hands through her hair before she looked at Anna with a look of concern.

"Is there anything I could do?"

After thinking about it for a few seconds, she came up with something that would work or what she felt like she needed to do.

"I feel like I need to get up and move around. Could you... I don't know... Come with me for a walk?" As she spoke, she could feel her cheeks turning red but she felt it was what she needed. "I feel like I might explode if I don't move around."

Elsa glanced down at Anna with an analytical expression on her face before a small understanding smile graced her face.

"Yeah... okay. Do you need me to help keep you steady?"

"But only if it's not too much. I could find someone..."

Anna felt a finger against her lips before she could finish the sentence. As her face began to glow, she could see Elsa shaking her head quickly.

"No, I'm fine. Besides, I don't think you fully realise how cold you are right now but it wouldn't be comfortable or safe for anyone else. Besides, I could use a walk," Elsa said, standing up to find shoes for them to wear while they were walking.

"Are you sure?"

"I want to do whatever I can to make you comfortable," Elsa said, determination strong in her voice as she looked at her sister with an expression that told her how serious she was. "Besides, this could have something to do with your powers because the feeling sounds... familiar. Promise me you'll tell me when you need _anything_ else... I don't care what time."

Anna looked into her sister's eyes and saw her words were genuine; with a nod, Anna agreed to tell her sister if she needed anything. Her sister smiled and kissed the top of her head before helping Anna to her feet. At first, her legs shook slightly but once she got her bearings, she straightened up and gave her sister a nod to indicate she was ready to go.

* * *

"It's nice out here," Anna said as she walked into the winter air for the first time since she became ill. Beside her, she could hear Elsa give a light chuckle.

"Do you even realise how cold it is out here?"

"No. Do you?" Anna asked with a laugh to cover up the blush that had once again crawled across her cheeks, making her wonder why she was suddenly blushing so much lately.

"Yes but I've been like this _a little_ longer than you have. I've had time to adapt and figure out what temperature it is on site and smell," Elsa said, her voice bordering on smug as she spoke. Anna chuckled, seeing the humour in Elsa's eyes as she spoke.

"Show off," Anna muttered lightly.

"What can I say? I'm _simply_ pointing out the obvious."

There was a mild hint of taunting in Elsa's voice as she spoke.

"Oh, shush you!" Anna said, her voice filled with humour as she swatted playfully at her sister's arm, nearly losing balance from the effort.

"Where do you want to go? The world is yours," Elsa said with a tone of amusement.

"Let's go to the gazebo," Anna said pointing a few feet over, losing balance slightly. She didn't fall, however, because her sister's grip tightened and soon enough, she was, once again, stable on her feet. We can rest before we go back."

"That works for me," Elsa said as she walked her sister slowly towards the beautiful gazebo just before the castle gardens. "Feeling better?"

Anna had to think about this for a second because she wasn't sure. She still felt a bit restless but not as though she was ready to burst open like an overinflated balloon.

"Kind of... I don't know. I feel... I feel... I dunno, I just feel different. I can't explain it," Anna said, honestly trying to come up with the words to explain how she felt but the words were beyond her reach and she didn't know how to express them. Elsa cocked her head slightly before she frowned curiously.

"Is it a bad different?"

"No, it's not bad or good it's just... different. A lot of things have changed from the way things taste to the way my clothes feel on my skin. But when my temperature goes up it might change again. So much has changed and I still don't know how to feel about _any_ of it because I simply haven't had time to process it and now I have less time to process it before I have to begin actually _dealing_ with it," Anna said, unable to stop all of her stress and anxiety from pouring out. "I'm sorry for dumping so much on you but..."

"No buts. I want to know how your dealing. I need to hear this if I'm going to help," Elsa muttered, putting her fingers under Anna's chin to keep her from glancing down to the ground. "The worst thing you can do when your powers come out is to conceal your emotions. I learned that the hard way. Please, let me help you. If something is wrong, tell me and I'll help you work through it."

Unable to hold back anymore, Anna threw her arms around Elsa in a fierce hug that made her heart feel warm and light. When she felt arms wrap around her again, she felt almost in complete bliss. She was still amazed by how safe and comfortable her sister made her feel and even while everything was so uncertain and confusing, she felt safer than she could ever remember feeling while she was in Elsa's arms.

"I love having you around. I missed you all those years," Anna muttered into her sister's neck, feeling a hand on her back making soothing circles on her back almost glad Elsa couldn't see her face and how red it was.

"I know but I'm not going anywhere; after all, I don't have to worry about hurting you anymore," Elsa said in a sincere tone as she hugged Anna tighter, it was almost she thought she was worried the younger girl was going to vanish.

"Everything will be okay, won't it?" Anna asked, finally letting her voice waver with worry. She hated that things were so unknown right now and that the future was even more uncertain and confusing. It would be a while before everything finally evened over and became close to normal again; it was a feeling Anna didn't like but as long as Elsa was a consistent figure in this unknown tidal wave of confusion, she could see herself making it out in one piece.

"I will do my best to make sure it is but these things always tend to work out for the best," Elsa said as she wiped a tear from Anna's face, making her realise she had been crying. "Just know, no matter what, I'll be there for you."

Anna nodded, feeling confident in Elsa's words and for the first time in a while, Anna felt like things were going to somehow work out, one way or another.

"What does it feel like? When you use your powers?" Anna asked, causing Elsa to quirk her brow and give Anna a long and thpoughtful look.

"It feels like I'm relieving my body of pressure. It feels good but if I let it build, it causes the pressure to build. When I let it go freely, I have the power to choose how and when it does come out."


End file.
